Ready To Rumble? Who's Gonna Do What At Reno 2003?!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Ok Race Fans... are you all ready to rumble? Ready to sound off a bit?

Let's open up the discussion..

Who's gonna do what to whom this year at Reno? Discussion open to ALL divisions.

Dago gonna whip up on Rare Bear? Bear gonna be drinkin fine wine on Sunday? Critical Mass gonna nuke em all?

My crystal ball got all dusty at PRS.. I don't have a clue, I'm countin' on you guys to set me straight...

The podium is yours!

Wayne

[T. Adams]

Radial Heaven??

I really think if the Bear, and Sept. Fury can stay healthy they will push the ragged edge Merlin in Dago to the breaking point. If they are down on power at all though, Dago walks away.

As for 500mph, if someone does it, I think everyone will then just give them their congrats, and ease back a little and qualify, and not break anything. Even if someone were to top a 500mph qualifying speed, nobody remembers who did it second. All the glory will go to the first to do it, no matter if they remain in the top spot or not. I would love to see it though. Since I have blown my budget, and will arrive before noon on Sunday the 7th, this is my best chance I think I'll ever get.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Radial Heaven??

Originally posted by T. Adams
I really think if the Bear, and Sept. Fury can stay healthy they will push the ragged edge Merlin in Dago to the breaking point

Oh man.... treadin' on thin ice here.. Leaving out CM in this mix??... bad mojo!!

I can almost hear the veins bulging in DialTapper's forehead... down boy... doooownnnn..

Wayne

[paintboy]

No Respect!!!!!

**moderator's note: Thread Merged - duplicated subject matter**

Nice story on the Breakdown for the Reno Air Races 2003 but I have one question. Why can't the Mike Brown Racing Team get any respect? What does this guy have to do to get noticed? Your breakdown for 2003 neglected to mention anything of the THREE racers Mike will be bringing to The Show. Any reason for this? All Mike Brown has done is bring a much needed shot into the arm of Air Racing. With the loss of a number of racers and race pilots Mike has stepped up with three racers one of which is the FASTEST Sea Fury on the planet, September Fury. The team has worked every day on this racer since returning home from Reno to improve on last years performance. No one else is putting in those kind of hours and money on an already fast and competitive racer. Love or hate the paint scheme if you like but the guy deserves the recognition for a program that has come a long ways in a very short period of time. It only takes money to make a Mustang go fast since it has an aerodynamic edge over the other racers, but try and make a Sea Fury turn the kind of laps September Fury turns and you have to look deep into a program with a purpose. Anyone else developing a racer that weighs in nearly 50 percent more than the Mustangs yet can run with them. I have all the respect for the Critical Mass team but that racer on the Reno course will not turn laps in the 470's or 480's. On a straight course the aircraft is probably very fast but the best lap ever turned by the racer is 452 MPH and that was unofficial. The battle between Dago Red, Sept Fury and Rare Bear is going to be one for the ages. Mike Brown has gathered what is probably the second best team in the pits and wisely utilizes the Sanders brothers input. Together they are a very formitable team if only they could get noticed. 468.282 MPH qualifying speed and a solid second place finish in last years gold race. As Rodney Dangerfield put it best " I don't get no respect".
Now before you go off on me this post is in no way an attempt to deminish your efforts at a story. A breakdown of the racers is a great way to match up the field. So blast away!

Dave

[Fly-By Knight]

Dago has his work cut-out this year!! Sept Fury, The Bear, and, one of my favorites, Critical Mass will be right on Red's heals!!! One cough of the Merlin and Dago's winning streak will be over!! I predict, without a doubt, the 500mph lap will go down in quailifying this year!! However, I'm not willing to place any bets on who will do it first. There are just too many possible front runners this year.

What an exciting year to be at Reno!!!!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Originally posted by paintboy
Nice story on the Breakdown for the Reno Air Races 2003 but I have one question. Why can't the Mike Brown Racing Team get any respect? What does this guy have to do to get noticed? Your breakdown for 2003 neglected to mention anything of the THREE racers Mike will be bringing to The Show. Any reason for this?

Yo, Dave... take a chill pill brother... Did you read the top and bottom of that article?

Right up near the top, it has this.. "we're going to keep a running progress report here, within this feature. As we get information that we're given permission to publish, we will add to the list below."

And right there down at the bottom it has: "Note to Air Race Crews: (All Divisions) If you would like your team updates published here, please click here to contact us."

I'll give you the reason I don't have anything there directly speaking about Mike's very formidable team. They don't talk to me. I don't have email or phone contact for anyone on the team. I don't print what I don't know.

I only knew that Dreads was flying because you posted so, which should be fairly obvious from the timing. Had you not posted that, at best, all I could have put in was that "last I heard" which would have been, they were trying to get the plane ready.

There are only as many on that list, as of now, and not more because it was getting on towards 6:00 AM and I was getting to making mistakes in my work and figured that was enough, for now..

I believe we've sort of had this discussion before. I can't be everywhere, I print what I get, if I don't get it, I don't print it. I've got a pretty long contact list, far from everyone in the sport is on it.

Everyone in this sport has their "own way" about things, quite frankly, I once approached Brian Sanders, introduced myself and was quite roundly snubbed by him. So it goes, I've got a thick hide but... If people don't talk with me, I don't get stories about them.

Mike is a nice man, I've only met him once, I seriously doubt he remembers me. I do not have contact information for him.

If you're on their team, feel free to click on that link and provide an update and I'll add them to the list.

What you've stated here about the team, so far, is general knowledge. They are a fine effort indeed, and would be added to the list as we go on simply on that basis alone. Had I any "breaking" news or direct contact information from them, I would have put them in the first run and probably not gotten to sleep till after 7:00 AM (which is when I did manage to get to bed).

Calls for the day began at about 9:30 so it's been a pretty short sleep day for me so far...

Wayne Sagar
editor, publisher, reporter, photographer,
bottle washer, cook, maid, janitor, printer,
exec assistant to the editor, marketing director,
human resources director... web designer
All Aviation FlightLine OnLine
A production of,
Airport Fence Productions, Inc.
(get my point? )

[Fly-By Knight]

Another thought!! What about Voodoo and Miss America??? Voodoo has been a strong condendor for a few years now, and Miss A is fresh out of restoration with some added racing mods!!! They couldn't beat the "Big Guys" on pure spead, but if there are any mechanical probs or pylon cuts, these guys will have no problem picking up the slack!!!

Only 3 1/2 weeks!!!!!!!

[AAFO_WSagar]

That's the spirit FBK!!! This is what it's all about for us fans... drooling over what we're about to experience!

Can ya almost smell the racing fuel burning? I can.. We can only dream now but, it sure would be nice if we could add Tiger to the mix this year!

If whoever does the TV coverage of any future racing event doesn't stick a mic in that man's hand and give him a camera crew to work with.. they will have missed one hell of an opportunty! About the only place Tiger shines as brightly as he does on the course is in the pits, just being Tiger!

Wayne

[lowpasskid]

look for race 22,merlins magic to win the silver race,
move to the gold race and give them all a run for
their money!

[Fly-By Knight]

Hey LowPass, I'm sorry to say that MM #22 just doesn't have what it takes to run in the gold. As for the silver, you may want to keep your eye on Furias. I have a feeling that they'll suprise us all this year.

Only time will tell!!!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Originally posted by Fly-By Knight
As for the silver, you may want to keep your eye on Furias. I have a feeling that they'll suprise us all this year.

Oh Geez... Don't tel Bill Rogers that!! I'm thinkin they're thinkin GOLD.. somewhere anyway!

The airplane has shown speeds in the past that could get them up there fairly well... especially with the new crew massaging her..ah.. I mean.. "Paintin' ground equipment"...

Wayne

[Fly-By Knight]

Does anyone know the status on Miss Merced? I noticed that, once again, this racer is not registered to attend Reno this year. Do the current owners have any interest in racing anymore? Also, what are the chances that Strega will get sold to another race team for future laps around the pylons?? Or at least to find a new pilot for the red and white wonder??

[The Phantom Samurai]

Race #22 and race #7...

As for race #22 Merlin's Magic, the past few years they most certainly DID have what it took to be a Gold contender! With speeds in the mid-430's, I'd say they ran VERY strong for a super-stocker Mustang. But unfortunately, this year will be a different story, as they will be running a stock -7 Merlin. Even so, with the slicked-up and shortened wings and a few other speed mods, I'd expect them to run bottom of the Silver, top of the Bronze. Best of luck to Stu, Bill and all the crew of race #22.

As for Strega, I strongly doubt you'll see her turning the pylons again any time soon. Not only will they need another pilot, they'll need another race engine, and I kinda doubt that will be happening any time in the near future. But like Wayne said, we can dream, can't we?

TPS

[Leo]

$0.02

There is a massive weather front closing the area from all directions. The only racer that arrives is Sparky, as the Seghetti's have shown up early to escape the Vacaville heat. They qualify at a blistering 285 and proceed to finally dominate the field winning thr Bronze, Silver, and with a sudden burst of power, outrunning a dust devil to take the Gold. The champagne flows.
Oops, wrong tea leaves...

Skip and Dago will qualify just over 500 Mph, weather permitting. It's been coming for some time now.
IF Rare Bear gets to race, I think he'll be close to the 500, but will hold a little to use Sunday.
I see a three plane race between Dago, Bear and Sept. Fury at first, settling down to a close contest between Dago and RB to see who will break first. To me, the win goes to the racer that DOES'NT do the 500, he'll have more engine left.

As fast as SF has been showing she still has to do it in a race, and
I love CM but think she is definately outclassed this year.

Miss America for the Silver (I hope), Furias close behind.
It's going to be great to see Mr Brown with an entry in all races.

I agree with you Wayne, I would watch tv coverage or buy a tape just to see and hear Tiger do the color. The man has a gift.

Leo Smiley

[The Phantom Samurai]

The crystal ball...

Funny stuff about Sparky! But as much fun as we have at her expense, would it really be Reno without her?

Leo, I like much of what you have to say, particularly about the effects of weather on the 500 MPH lap. VERY true. Give me 80+ degrees and a slight breeze at 5-10 and I say it's as good as done.

I think where I differ is in the perceived amount of power it will take to get Team Dago the 500 MPH speed. I've heard rumors from some excellent sources that indicate it actually took relatively little power to turn the 497+ lap, and I KNOW Dago has undergone some aerodynamic mods in the past year which will undoubtedly improve her top speed. Now, will the mods collectively improve the speed 2+ MPH at the same power setting? Only time will tell, but knowing Bill Kerchenfaut and his aerodynamic wizardry, as well as Skip Holm's incredible ability to fly the pylons, I'm betting we see 500+ on the Monday morning qualifying session. And, I'm betting the Merlin will have no problem living through Sunday.

As for Miss America, I'm betting 450 is a very real possibility, and should give Dreadnought and Critical Mass all they want in the Gold class. I have a good feeling about their Allison rod Merlin this year.

TPS